1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to molding machines and, more particularly, to a molding machine connected to a network to be capable of performing communication with external equipments and a molding machine management system using such a molding machine.
2. Description of Related Art
In a molding factory, internal data, such as molding condition data required each time a mold of a molding machine is changed, performance value (logging) data used for determination of molded products or waveform data, is retrieved outside injection molding machines, and accumulated in an external memory apparatus. It is an important element for management of a molding factory to retrieve data regarding a molding machine from the molding machine and manage it.
Moreover, if molding condition data regarding a molding machine for molding a molded product can be transferred to other molding machines, which mold the same molded product, a setting work of molding condition becomes easy. Conventionally, internal data of a molding machine, such as molding condition data, performance value data, waveform data, is retrieved outside the molding machine through memory media.
Storage capacity of a memory media such as a disk recording medium or a memory card is limited, and a large amount of data cannot be recorded in a lump sum. Additionally, it takes a considerable time to record data on a memory medium when retrieving internal data of a molding machine.
When changing operation program software incorporated in a molding machine, an operation program is changed by replacing a ROM body or a readable and writable silicon disk body on which the operation program of the molding machine is recorded. Therefore, when changing an operation program of a molding machine located at a remote place, the program cannot be sent through a communication means such as a network or the like, and a recording medium on which the operation program is recorded must be sent to the remote place. Thus, it takes a long time to carry out maintenance, and a cost expended for the maintenance of the molding machine is increased.
It should be noted that when exchanging data between a molding machine and an external equipment, there is known a data operation according to a communication program using RS232C, OPC or SPI standard. (for example, refer t Patent Document 1). However, it is necessary to determine a communication specification to perform mutual data communication between the molding machine and the external equipment, and a communication program for a molding machine which operates on the external equipment with respect to the external equipment to be connected.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-113965